State of Art in Robotics and Embedded Systems: Bangladesh Perspective

Journal of Automation and Control Engineering Vol. 4, No. 1, February 2016

Md. Khalilur Rhaman, Sabbir Ahmed Khan, and Shifur Rahman Shakil BRAC University, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, 66 Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh Email: {khalilur, khan.sabbir, shifur.rahman}@bracu.ac.bd

Abstract—The Embedded Systems are everywhere and the progress, problems and prospects of robotics and everyone is very curious about robots and their autonomous embedded system in our country. Our research includes activities. These two topics are very integrated with each deep analysis about the robotics and embedded research other. This discussion focuses on robotics: their evolution, developing in Bangladesh, problems that are facing to applications, recent development and their future. The meet with commercial demand as well as international reconciliation day is coming where very high performance robot will work and communicate with human with the help standard and finally the necessity of R&D sectors to cope of their sensory and human-machine interaction capacity. up future industrial collaboration in order to reduce our This article surveys the current state of art in robotics and emerging unemployment ratio. After discussing the embedded systems. Some innovative researches are whole scenario this research also concludes some identified in robotics and embedded systems with their important applications of robotics and embedded system architecture, communication, motor action, sensors and from our country’s perspective which is very crucial for intelligent control system. Considering the latest trend and engineers to find their future goal. Finally, we believe this innovations in the world we will highlight the importance research is going to be a ground breaking initiative to and uses of robotic applications in developing countries like bring revolution for our engineers (especially computer Bangladesh. Since these researches are highly integrated with natural science, engineering application and also with and electrical engineers) to decline traditional job mindset renewable energy, we conclude our survey by identifying and fetch R&D sectors in corporate with industrial several additional open research issues in Robotics and development. embedded systems.  II. EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL ROBOTS Index Terms—autonomous, rescue robots, Agrobots Nowadays robotics and automation systems extensively applied agricultural sector. Several I. INTRODUCTION motivations are behind the investment to incorporate robotics in agricultural sectors like decreasing labor Engineers and researchers of developing countries like forces, saving time and cope up with the high product Bangladesh are working hard to pull up their countries demand. Apart from those, increasing food quality, living standard. Technical innovation can be seen production security and finally reducing end product cost everywhere including self-educated technicians to highly are also vital parameters for automation revolution in educated academic researchers. Unfortunately, those agriculture. Moreover, farmers are getting exemption researches and innovations are hardy effecting on our from extensive physical effort. In fact, those social and humanitarian developments due to the lack of phenomenons are especially considerable and important opportunity and ability of commercialization. Hence, for developing countries like Bangladesh. Mostly used many of our vital projects are not converting to the agricultural robots in developing countries are: mowing industrial products and they are not using for the socio- grass, spraying pesticides and monitoring crops. This economic development. research represents a review on some common robotic From nano chip to satellite operation, from industrial technology that is used in agriculture sector of work to our daily use, all the way we are integrated with Bangladesh and also other developing countries. the embedded system. In fact, nowadays most of the From several decades researches has been performed industries and corporate offices of our country are to develop robots for using in agriculture sector. Cherry, looking for smart systems for automation where budget tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, and other fruits are and funding is not a big issue for them. But only because harvesting using different types of robots in different of poor R&D, we are lagging behind to cope up with countries [1]. Moreover, in horticulture, robots have been demand. We believe, this is the high time for electrical introduced to harvest citrus and apples. In dairy farming, and computer engineers to target this embedded and milking robots are currently commonplace in the robotic system market for self-employment. In this Netherlands [2] whereas Bangladesh and other research, our team has put an extreme effort to investigate developing countries are still following conventional procedure. Example of Advance automated engineering is Manuscript received October 20, 2014; revised December 18, 2014. Japanese ‘‘plant factory,’’ where vegetables are grown

hydroponically under artificial lighting [3]. Nowadays, and weighing, and the produce is free of any blemish, Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand, Japan and others disease, or insect damage. The automation level in plant agricultural based countries are using rice cutter and other factories is so high that over time. They may become crop cutter machine in order to manage their cultivations. completely autonomous production facilities. Considering Computers and robots are used to control the process Agriculture aspect we have divided the scopes of robotics from out planting seedlings, to root cutting, packaging, according to the Fig. 1.

Figure 1. Various sections of implementation of robotic system in agricultural sector

Several advance robotic system has already been picking that currently employs thousands of migrant developed in order to fulfill the demand of agricultural workers each season [6]. By developing this technology sectors. In fact, those robots are making agricultural Bangladesh can be benefited in summer season when lots sectors more productive. Here we are going to give some of labor and cost are invested order to collect the fruits. examples of advance robots which can be incorporated in ‘HortiBot’ robots are used in the hilly areas where our agricultural sectors: The cost of UAVs has fallen cultivation is too much complicated and expensive [7]. rapidly due to the rapid growth of technology. Private This kind of robots can be used in hilly areas in corporations and universities all over the world are Bangladesh such as Chittagong where lots of crops are working on various types of UAVs to perform tasks harvesting in mountain. High-tech tools for weeding that which were previously done with enormous expense. The at a later stage can be implemented are tools like laser, ‘Yamaha RMAX Helicopter’ is one of the most micro spraying and mechanical devices. innovative and commercially available UAV in the world University graduates are conducting researches to right now [4]. This robot can be used to precision in develop agrobots. A class of undergraduates at the pesticide and fertilizer delivery purpose. In addition, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created ‘Casmobot’, an advance robot was developed by the a set of robots that can water, harvest and pollinate cherry tomato plants. Carnegie Mellon University’s Field University of Southern Denmark (during 2007-2009) as Robotics Center is testing an automated utility cart part of Plant Nurturing Robotics. In fact, ‘Casmobot’ is a equipped with laser range- finders to find its way through contraction for Computer Assisted Slope Mowing Robot a Pennsylvania apple orchard, towing sensors that track [5]. In recent years many universities in Bangladesh tried the progress of the crop. to concentrate about developing UAV resulting numbers BRAC University Robotics Research lab has of UAV project in national and international seminar and developed Smart Irrigation and Soil Component Test conference. From, early 1980 researchers were working which is shown in Fig. 2. The aim of the projects is to on developing the principle of fruit picking robots. In fact, make an embedded system which will provide all the these principles have disclosed the door of new necessary information needed for the production of approaches to the harvesting of crops. However, to various crops in an efficient way making the whole develop the fruit picking robotics technology in a notable process automatic, cost effective, eco-friendly and level, contributions from high-tech industry, agricultural attaining all other environmental concern. It will also provide the amount of soil nutrients and following to that commodity groups and farm equipment manufacturers measurement, an apps database will help to find out the must be hunted. Vision Robotics, a San Diego company, amount of fertilizer to be used in particular field. A soil is working on a pair of robots that would trundle through moisture sensor with low-cost was modeled, simulated orchards plucking oranges, apples or other fruit from the and tested for achieving accurate and reliable trees. In a few years, troops of these machines could measurements. A high-performance pH probe is perform the tedious and labor-intensive task of fruit calibrated with linearity of the pH scale.

ongoing research of medical robots are rehabilitation, minimal invasive surgery and laser osteotomy. Magnetic Microbots are a group of tiny robots used in innumerable operations, such as removing plaque from a patient's arteries or helping with ocular conditions and disease screenings [8]. Microsoft Research Cambridge team built an augmented reality system to help brain surgeons visualize 3D brain scans by using their new Kinect API [9]. Kinect Fusion supplies 3D modeling of anything, which could fuel some seriously neat medical innovations. According to a recent article from The Wall Street Journal, in the next few years, thousands of 'service robots' are anticipated to enter the healthcare sector. As less than 1,000 of blue-collar robots currently roam about hospitals, but those numbers are anticipated to increase rapidly [10]. Figure 2. Smart irrigating system integration Like many of Toyota’s Healthcare Assistants, much An Automatic weather station (AWS) is an automated robotic advancement are used to better the day-to-day type of traditional weather station, either to facilitate lives of patients, helping them eat, like the Bestic Arm, or measurements from remote areas or to save human labor helping a patient regain her ability to walk. Moreover, which has been used in developing countries. It has been embedded system and robot are used in disease diagnosis considered that with the advancement in modern for example ECG, EEG, MRI –all medical devices are technology the use of combined weather sensor is using the latest development of embedded system and essential for agriculture of Bangladesh, considering the technology. In Bangladesh these devices are mostly geographical location, climate change issues, agriculture imported from developed countries. The development of based economy & weather forecast etc. Hence keeping these instrument and devices within the county are highly this in mind a cost effective, reliable and efficient needed for Bangladesh. Again, in case of natural combined weather sensor has been developed at BRAC calamities or disaster, medical robot plays an important University. The major contribution of this project will be role to give an initiative treatment without presence of the acquisition of the data’s of the sensors altogether, human. Fig. 4 illustrates that BRAC University students which makes the weather sensing digital rather than have developed a special kind of robot called “priSha” manual which is shown in Fig. 3. This project is focused that can be controlled by thinking of patient. The purpose to get more accurate weather information and to make the of this robot is to give primary control of the robot with system digital rather than conventional ones. the help of thinking of patient.

Figure 4. Controlling robot by human brain

The use of medical robot in Bangladesh is very rare; only some of renowned hospitals take initiative to use it. Types of heart surgery that are performed with minimally invasive surgery in Bangladesh include Coronary Artery Figure 3. Smart remote sensing weather station Bypass Graft (CABG), Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) closure, Mitral valve repair/ replacement. Beside normal heart surgery there is an approach where incision is made III. EVALUATION OF ROBOTS IN MEDICAL SECTOR very small of about 2 inch to 3 inch long in the chest Medical robot is an emerging and relatively new field according to the type of surgery and heart lung machine to assist in diagnosis and treating patient. Medical robot is connected through a small incision in the groin [11]. can be highly specialized and can be able to reduce This procedure is also done with the aid of robot in the human error. The fields of medical robot that sustain developed countries now a day and gained much now-a-days are radiology/imaging system, radiation popularity. In Bangladesh, robotic heart surgery may not therapy, patient positioning and surgery. The fields of be feasible for economic constraints but with the

development of robotics field in Bangladesh can reduce For the past hundred years, innovation within the the cost and make it ease of access for general people. automotive sector has created safer, cleaner, and more Few days ago, a seminar conducted by Apollo Hospitals, reasonable vehicles, but progress has been incremental. Researchers and makers of driverless cars say the Chennai at Bangladesh opened up new perspectives in technology will be far harmless than people-driven healthcare. Doctors including Dr. Anantha krishnan vehicles because they eliminate volatile human errors like Sivaraman, Consultant Urologist from Apollo Hospitals, distracted or drunk driving, or poor reactions to Chennai demonstrated the latest surgical interventions emergency situations. using Da vinci Robotic Surgery system in the event As a result, in developed country the autonomous organized by Global Telemedicine Company, traffic system is very much popular and reliable. Using Representative office of Apollo Hospitals in Bangladesh GPRS System, the traffic system can be maintained easily in Dhaka city and vehicle can be tracked in highway is [11]. also a developed project for ROBU (BRACU Robotics) [16]. Boston Dynamics builds advanced robots with IV. EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL ROBOTS remarkable behavior: mobility, agility, dexterity and speed. By using sensor-based controls and computation, it A very large numbers of heterogeneous agents in the can turn to unlock the capabilities of complex hostile environment are relating with disaster rescue has mechanisms [17]. becomes more important social issue now-a-days. For Organizations worldwide, from DARPA, the US Army, example, Sandia’s Gemini-Scout is used as a rescue robot Navy and Marine Corps to Sony Corporation turn to for Mining Disaster [12]. This type of robot can be useful Boston Dynamics for advice and for help creating the for Bangladesh in industrial hazard like “Rana Plaza most advanced robots on Earth. BRAC University Tragedy”. BRAC University Robotics Club has also developed a Robotics has developed RC copter, Quad copter new Intelligent Military Robot (IMV) which is shown in showed in Fig. 6, and two wheels self-balanced motor car Fig. 5 that can be used for this purpose also. This type of showed in Fig. 7a & Fig. 7b. An excavation system has robot can be used for rescue and spying purpose in war been developed at BRAC university considering simple field to make a surveillance of opposite actions. Again, construction, light-weight and efficient enough to the combination of vulnerability to earthquakes and a excavate and collect known as Chondrobot I & natural affinity for robotics has led to a surplus of Chondrobot II to participate in NASA Lunabotics Mining Japanese rescue robots [13]. This type of robot can be useful in Bangladesh as it lays such area where the Competition which can be used for beach cleaning possibility of earthquake is very high. purpose or sample collection purpose [18], [19] are shown in Fig. 8a & Fig. 8b.

Figure 6. UAV (RC copter and Quad copter)

Figure 5. Intelligent Military Vehicle (IMV)

V. EVALUATION OF INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS AND AUTONOMOUS TRANSPORTATION

An industrial robot is an automatically precise, (a) reprogrammable, adaptable manipulator programmable in three or more axes. Typical applications of industrial robots include welding, painting, ironing, assembly, pick and place, palletizing, product inspection, and testing, all accomplished with high endurance, speed, and precision. The most commonly used robot configurations for industrial automation are SCARA robots and gantry robots [14]. Most types of industrial robots would fall into the category of robot arms. As a pioneer in robotics and robotic arm technology, the KUKA Robot Group is one of the leading suppliers and manufacturers of robotic systems worldwide [15]. In Bangladesh, many industries and electronic companies like Walton are growing up (b) rapidly so the necessity of industrial robot becomes acute in now-a-days. Figure 7. (a) Proposed chassis structure (b) Side view of two wheels self-balanced motor car

spreading our R&D. In a long run, new technical job sectors are narrowing down and our traditional technology markets (such as Mobile operator companies, conventional electrical power developments) are going through a saturation mode resulting potential engineering graduate students (especially electrical and electronic graduates) jobless. Most of those graduate students are either dropping out themselves from engineering and going to join banking sectors or going to abroad and never comes back. We have termed this total system as a potential loss of humanitarian technology development in our country. (a)

(b) Figure 8. (a) Chodrobot I (b) Chondrobot II Figure 9. Situation of electronic job sector in Bangladesh

VI. DISCUSSION OF ROBOTICS RESEARCH EVALUATION IN BANGLADESH The uses of robot are indispensable for every sectors of society as it enables the opportunity to increase the production, guaranteed safety and reduces time. As it may be a little bit concern about many people that if robot will replace the human in workplace then many people will lose their job and become jobless. But the real scenario is little bit different in contrast with people concern. Due to the increment of production by using robot creates an opportunity to work more people in manufacturing and supplier-customer chain related jobs. As a result there is a balance of jobs without contributing any effect on human labor in workplace. The developing countries are using robots for accomplishing precarious jobs for example rescue people, coil mining and such jobs which have a threat towards Figure 10. Study of robotics and embedded system research in human lives. They have also used advanced robots in Bangladesh medical sector which saved number of human lives. As the prices of these robots are very high therefore it is Taking this situation in consideration the only almost impossible for developed countries like alternative is we have to develop R&D sector and create Bangladesh to buy and implement them. But some our own job market. By considering this situation, we universities and organizations in Bangladesh are opening draw a Fig. 9 to show the job market of electronics in R&D sector to implement them in a small scale and in a Bangladesh. The good news is that in Bangladesh there cost effective way which signifies a great promise are increased numbers of research about robotics and towards the evolution of technology. To cope up with the embedded system has been practiced in recent few years. advanced world in the field of robotics, more concentration should be taken to get the benefit of We make an estimation of paper published about robotics robotics. and embedded system in Bangladesh. The result indicates Due to limitations of R&D sectors the products can’t that the number of paper about robotics and embedded maintain international standard. As a continuous cycle we system published in conference are satisfactory and it is are not getting international funds and resources for increasing day by day which is shown in Fig. 10.

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